There’s an expression in English, “He talks a good game.”
That relates to people who do more talking than playing. There’s a network called ESPN which began talking about playing. In the beginning it had very little actual sports, it was mostly about talking about them.
With everything we do, there are different levels to actuation. Everything starts with an intention. The mouth can set the intention. The mind can set the intention. Words set an intention.
In Islam, everyone repeats the Kalimah which is the witnessing. The witnessing is the beginning of intention. This intention needs to move into the heart to become settled as the reality in our existence. So, we go from the mouth to the heart. That means that we truly begin to believe it, but the belief isn’t actuated until it becomes part of the way we are. Part of the way we act.
Philosophers talk about philosophy. They are very careful in their definitions and how they try to define it. It’s as if words were actuation. So they try to get the words as specific as possible to indicate what’s supposed to be happening.
There’s a word in Arabic, iman, I M A N in the English transliteration. Which we have defined through Bawa as faith, certitude and determination. Now what is this? What is the combination of all these things? What is faith, certitude, and determination?
Well, what we are talking about is the followthrough which comes after words. The ability to actuate that which we say, that we think, that which we believe. To actually put into practice that which we have mouthed. That which we have talked about. That which we have begun to accept as our way.
It’s very easy to talk about love. It’s very easy to talk about compassion. It’s very easy to talk about forgiveness. It’s very easy to do these things. It’s very difficult to bring them into actuation, to bring them into reality. Now we should understand the phases that we go through…
